THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: BOOK 1 THE DARK PLANET

While searching for his missing son, Boss John learns the mega-freighter, 'The Hunter Gratzner,' has gone missing somewhere out in the ghost lanes. A back alley trade route used by pirates, smugglers, rogue mercenaries groups transporting captured fugitives and fortune hunters looking for treasure on the outer fringes of the galaxy. To his dismay, Johns learns his son was aboard the doomed vessel when it went missing. And now, MegaCorp shipping conglomerate won't release any details about the long overdo vessel. After a cursory investigation, the accident is soon deemed top secret and all investigation reports are permanently sealed. Years later, still searching for the whereabouts of the ghost ship, Colonel Nathaniel Johns, ex-company ranger turned mercenary commander has exhausted all of his leads. But in one final act of desperation, Johns breaks into a Waylen Yutani subsidiary server where he downloads the redacted files of The Hunter Gratzner crash, After narrowly escaping, Johns learns the ship's final resting place and finds a few obscure handwritten notes about 3 possible survivors. Realizing the ship did not vanish or break up on entering M6-117s biosphere, Johns believes his son may yet be alive. But now, he is left with the daunting task of funding a costly mission to M6-117, to check it out. After decades of unanswered questions, John's employer Lady Lilith Hemmingford, aka 'The Lady in Black,' suddenly takes an interest in the cold case and M6-117.and offers to fund a private mission that costs a small fortune. She instructs Johns to assemble a trustworthy team to investigate the crash site and relate back what they find. The mission is designated black ops 1, and kept under the strictest secrecy. Neither he, nor his team are to speak of it., or what they find. After working for Lady Hemmingford for decades, Lilith's personal interest in a crash that has no clear financial gain makes him suspicious. But having no other options, Johns taps his two most trusted friends and teammates along with his headstrong 18-year-old niece for the dangerous mission. A mission he is well aware none of them may return from. During the final mission debrief, Johns informs them they are going to a scorching desert planet in the heart of a binary star system where night falls but once every 22 years. And that all life there lives underground and they should stay out of the shadows. Their sole mission is to find the ship, learn everything they can about the accident and send him the names of the survivors. But what they find there will test the bounds of sanity. Unbeknownst to Johns and his team, Lilith Hemmingford has clandestine plans of her own, She gives each member of Johns team secretive mission directives, suggesting Johns adoptive mother knows far more about the reason behind the crash, as well as what is actually happening on M6-117. More than any of them would imagine. Once there, the newly formed team must overcome the debilitating side effects of an unusually long hyper-sleep, come together as a cohesive unit and fulfil their secret missions before the depths of the dark planet reaches up and pulls them down forever. Throughout their chaotic misadventure, they will come to doubt old loyalties, face bloodthirsty bio-raptors and battle enemies from the past, present and future. 03/10/23- UPDATE - Hey everyone I just wanted to let you know- as part of my learning to be a better writer journey- this fanfic series is undergoing a genre revision. Horror/Scifi. I am also adding a stronger 3rd person omniscient narrator, as well as upping the level of science, tech and mythos. Book 1 revisions are currently underway. This revision will alter plots, sub-plots, character arcs, theme and story direction throughout the entirety of the series. I will also update each subsequent story as time allows. I hope you enjoy the new direction.